Thoughts on “Belief”

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about “belief,” by which I mean “the ideas and notions one claims to be true.”  Interestingly, I have found myself simultaneously coming to two very different conclusions about the importance and meaning of beliefs, especially regarding deeper issues such as the meaning of life, spirituality, right and wrong, societal structures, etc.  On one hand, it is perfectly clear that what someone believes is incredibly important and influential on how they feel, how they live, and how they relate to others.  For example, some beliefs could easily contribute to feelings of self-loathing, depression, and discouragement.  Beliefs can cause one to isolate from others, have contempt for those who are different, and even to harm or kill other people, spreading pain and sowing anger on a large scale.  In the same way, certain beliefs could promote such things as feelings of hope and inspiration, humble and joyful servanthood toward others, and a desire and attempt to make one’s sphere of influence more peaceful, hopeful, and full of love.  If the content of one’s beliefs can promote such different paths, their importance cannot be denied.

Yet at the same time, I have also been considering that beliefs have no real substance to begin with – they are ultimately just creations of the mind, shaped by environment and experience.  Again, it seems that at their essence, beliefs are merely figments of the mind, no matter how strongly we cling to them.  I find it useful to remember the unquestionable truth that a person is more likely to adhere to certain beliefs about the world if they are raised in and surrounded by an environment which promotes these beliefs strongly, such as a very religious household.  Someone born to Christian parents in rural America is many, many, many times more likely to claim Christian beliefs than is someone born in Saudi Arabia, and someone raised in a Mormon household is many, many, many times more likely to hold to Mormon beliefs than is someone born to atheist parents who follow no religion.  But this raises a very important issue: if your belief system is in large part a result of the family you were born into, are they really YOUR beliefs at all?  And what validity to they have compared to those of someone born into a different belief system?  Not only that, but all of us know that beliefs can and do change, which also shows that beliefs are not something solid or permanent.

In my next post, I hope to explore how these two very different attitudes toward belief can exist together – how we can both seek to believe what is true and beneficial, while at the same time be learning to recognize and properly value that which lies deeper than belief.  Thank you for reading!  Wishing you all the best.